In late winter or early spring, the tulips usually stick their heads out of the ground. Premature development in winter due to unusually warm weather is not as serious a threat as it might seem. Tulips can tolerate cold temperatures quite well. But when the cold weather of winter returns, it can slow the growth process. In this situation, snow can actually be useful as it protects plants from extreme cold.
January is the perfect time to plant tulip bulbs. Although October and November are the best months for planting tulips, you can plant tulip bulbs in January and get good results. Keep scrolling to find out more!
Plant the tulip bulbs in mid-fall or even late fall, in moist but well-draining soil. Choose a sunny location. Even if you don't manage to plant the bulbs by Christmas, that's no problem: bulbs planted in early January can still give good results. Plant new bulbs every year for the most spectacular blooms.
Cool the tulip bulbs in the refrigerator and then plant them
It's a good idea, the tulip bulbsto cool before planting: For tulips to bloom properly, they need to be chilled at a constant soil temperature of 13°C or lower for 10-12 weeks. Their development and flowering depend on this. That's why you can put the onions in a brown paper bag with holes or in a mesh bag with holes to allow air to circulate. Then leave the bag in the fridge. Mold and rot can develop in humid environments, so be careful not to get the bulbs wet.
Note the following:Fruits like apples release ethylene gas, which can damage a tulip bulb. Keep tulip bulbs away from apples to avoid this problem.
The ideal temperature to cool the onions without them freezing is around 4°C. So adjust your refrigerator accordingly.
Planting tulips in January: location and soil
Each tulip variety thrives in full sun or partial shade in well-drained soil. It is advisable to plant tulips near perennials in a bed because the perennials' new growth will obscure the tulip leaves as they wilt and die. Add plenty of well-rotted organic material to sandy or heavy clay soils before planting. Adding horticultural sand to the bottom of the planting hole can relieve heavy soil.
Also interesting:Planting tulip bulbs in spring: What you should definitely pay attention to and when it is possible
How deep to plant tulips?
To prepare the soil, you should loosen it with a garden fork and then add compost or well-rotted manure to make it more stable.
Sowthe onions at a depth, which is about three times the diameter of the onion. As a rule, the bulbs are buried 7 to 12 centimeters deep into the soil. After sowing, water the bulbs well and space them 5 to 7 centimeters apart. As a result, the soil is usually sufficiently moist throughout the winter because it rains in winter and temperatures drop. In March and April, when they begin to develop and bloom, you should start watering.
Use mulch
Straw, leaves or wood chips can be used as mulch over the bulbs to protect them from dry soil and high temperatures. A generous cover of potting soil is sufficient for this purpose.
To encourage reblooming of tulips after flowering, allow the foliage to fall off naturally. This helps nourish the bulbs for next year. Remove the tulips from the soil and replace them with something else if you are treating them as annuals.
You can find out how to properly plant tulips in pots here:
